1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device, a color filter, a camera, and a method for manufacturing the color filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cameras including video cameras and digital still cameras include a solid-state imaging device, such as a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (charge coupled device) image sensor. In the solid-state imaging device, a pixel area provided with a plurality of pixels and a surrounding area positioned around the pixel area are provided on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. In the pixel area, a plurality of photoelectric converting elements corresponding to the plurality of pixels are placed. The photoelectric converting elements receive light from a subject image and perform photoelectric conversion on the received light so as to generate signal charge. In the surrounding area, a surrounding circuit to process the signal charge generated by the photoelectric converting elements is provided (e.g., see Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-13089).
In the solid-state imaging device, a color filter is provided such that the color filter faces the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The color filter receives light from a subject image and allows a light component of a predetermined wavelength band in the light to transmit therethrough in a surface corresponding to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Accordingly, the light transmitted through the color filter is colored. Then, the colored light is emitted from the color filter to the pixel area on the surface of the semiconductor substrate (e.g., see Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-96983).
In an area of the color filter corresponding to the pixel area, a plurality of colored arrays including a plurality of colored layers are regularly placed so that light from a subject image transmits therethrough as colored light beams of three primary colors: red, blue, and green. For example, segments of colored layers of a plurality of colors are arranged in accordance with colored arrays called “Bayer arrays” such that the segments correspond to the respective pixels. For example, a coating liquid containing a coloring agent and a photoresist material is applied by a coating method, such as a spin coat method, to form a coating film, and then the coating film is patterned by a lithography technique. Accordingly, colored layers of respective colors are formed in accordance with the colored arrays (e.g., see Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-317776).
In an area of the color filter corresponding to the surrounding area, a light reflection preventing layer to prevent reflection of light from a metallic material in the surrounding area is provided in order to suppress degradation of image quality due to occurrence of flare in a captured image. The light reflection preventing layer is formed by laminating a plurality of colored layers corresponding to the pixel area in a solid pattern in the surrounding area, for example (e.g., see Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 01-194464).